11-Year-Old, Nada al-Ahdal, Explains Her Escape From Forced Marriage

Emerald Pellot

Unfortunately, in Yemen, child marriage is not uncommon. Nada al-Ahdal, an 11-year-old girl from Sana’a had been “promised” or sold by her parents to two male suitors—adult male suitors—on separate occasions. Her uncle, with whom she lives with, Abdel Salam, has done everything in his power to protect Nada from marrying a significantly older, rich husband. However when Nada was 10, Abdel found out her parents were planning on giving her to a Yemeni expat living in Saudi Arabia.

In this first instance Abdel was able to stop the marriage, he said, “I called the groom and told him Nada was no good for him. I told him she did not wear the veil and he asked if things were going to remain like that. I said ‘yes, and I agree because she chose it.’ I also told him that she liked singing and asked if he would remain engaged to her.”

However, when Nada al-Ahdal’s parents came to “visit” recently, their true intentions were to kidnap her and marry her off. They threatened her life but Nada was able to escape. Watch the young and brave girl discuss what happened to her below.